Captain James Paulsen was born on Long Island, New York and raised in rural Indiana. He graduated from Purdue University in 1983 and was commissioned at Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida.

He has logged over 5000 flight hours, including more than 3000 hours in the FA-18A-F Hornet and Super Hornet. He has flown nearly 200 combat missions and he has made 1000 carrier-arrested landings on the decks of the aircraft carriers Lexington, Ranger, Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Enterprise, Nimitz, Carl Vinson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

He was the first Airwing Commander to land on the Navy's newest carrier, George Herbert Walker Bush. He also flew the T-34B/C, T-2C, TA-4J, QF-4S, A-7E, EA-7L, ERA-3B, KA-3B, EA-6B, E-2C, SH-60F, HH-60H, C-2A, C-12, and civilian aircraft ranging from gliders to jetliners.

During Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, he commanded Strike Fighter Squadron 192 and Carrier Air Wing 1. He is the recipient of three Legion of Merit Medals, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and two Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal with combat "V", eight Air Medal/Strike Flight Awards, two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals and various campaign and service awards. His final tour was as the Commanding Officer and Professor of Naval Science at the Chicago Area NROTC Consortium. In his spare time, he also serves as a National Air and Space Museum Docent.